Strut for floor joists



Sept. 16, 1924.

' J. MCD. WHITESIDE STRUT FOR FLOOR JOISTS Filed Jan. 14 1924 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X` X X X\ Patented Sept. 16, i924.

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JAMES MODOWELL WHITESIDE, F BANGOR, IRELAND.

STRUT FOR FLOOR JOISTS.

Application led January 14, 1924. Serial No. 685,997.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES MCDOWELL WHrrnsiDn, a resident of 36 Ward Avenue, Ban or, County Down, Ireland, a sub'ect of the ing of Great Britain and Irelan have invente certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Struts for Floor Joists, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stren hening struts for floor joists also upri hts or walls and wood-frame structures. Ilsually wood iioor joists and wall framing are strengthened in the case of ioors by means of what is called herring-bone strutting, consisting of crossed wooden struts suitably shaped at their ends and placed between the joists to which they are secured by nails at their ends and in the case of wall framesb solid bridging. This involves considerab e labour as, for example, the crossed wooden struts have to be cut at their ends and then saw-cut to receive the nails so as to prevent them splitting when they are being placed in position and the nails are being driven. This has to 25 be very carefully done, and even then is not always satisfactory as the wooden struts often split and they are subject to shrinkage which, in time, allows the joists to spring and vibrate on the wall plates.

It is the object of the present invention to make a crossed strut 'or trussing out of metal which shall be light in weight, strong for its weight, easily adjusted and rapidly fixed in position, readily packed in small space for transit, and shall be simply and cheaply manufactured. My strut, especially if stamped from sheet metal, satisfies all these requirements; further, its parts are reversible in manufacture, only one pattern being required.

The invention is shown by way of example on the annexed drawing.

Fig. 1 is a view of the crossed metal strut.

Fig. 2 shows a number of the crossed metal struts in osition.

Fig. 3 shows t e crossed metal struts used in a wall framing.

Referring to the drawings The crossed metal struts comprise two steel angle bars 1 and 2 with the respective vertically disposed Sides 1a and 2 riveted together whilst the other sides 1b and 2b have each one end bent down and the other end bent up. The upwardly bent ends l and 2c are shown at the top whilst the downwardly bent ends 1d and 2d are at the bottom in each case, when the strut is in position. Holes are provided in the portions 1, 2c, 1d and 2c1 for the nails which secure the strut to the joists 3 as shown at Fi 2.

The steel angle members ai'mng the metal reinforcing struts instead of being crossed as shown could be arranged for transportation with the two abutting anges, or sides la and 2l1 lying alongside each other so as to take up as little room as possible and when being placed in position it is only necessary to open them out into cross formation shown at Fig. 1 and to the extent desired to bring the ends to the required positions on the sides of the joists for securing the struts in position.

The advantages of the steel struts are, that they are cheap and easy to manufacture,

they are easily fixed in position and, owing to the bent up ends being more or less resilient, they allow for the struts being drawn tightly into position. The steel struts are also proof against shrinkage and dry rot. The steel struts have the further advantage of being suitable for different heights of joists and it is believed that one size of the metal struts would serve for joists of 8, 9, and 10 inch depth and similarly another s lze would serve for l1, 12, and 13 inch ]o1sts and so on.

The example shown at Fig. 3 of a vertlcal frame for a building or other structure has the metal reinforcin struts arranged in line. They may if desired be otherwise arranged and could be staggered after the manner of solid bridging used for vertical structures.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure b Letters atent is:-

1. A col apsible crossed strut or trussing for ioor j oists and the like having in combination two metal an le bars pivoted together, and having a slde of each an le bar at each end thereof bent parallelwith the adjacent joist and orificed receive an attaching member such as a nail.

2. A collapsible crossed strut or trussmg for Hoor joists and the like comprising in and at the other end against the bent part of combina-tion two metal bars of L-shape in the base. Il@ crosssection having the base of each [L bent iin testimony whereof it afix my signature at each end parallel with the adjacent joist, in resence of two witnesses.

and oriced to receive an attachlng member AMES MCDUWELL WHITESEIDE.

such as a nail, and having the two uprights Witnesses:

of the lLs pvoted together and each cut at ANDREW HAMILTON,

one end to abut agalnst tile adjacent joist HARRY WALTER r. 

